Police arrested an East Hartford man on multiple warrants inside Chipotle in West Hartford Center on Thursday night.

By Ronni Newton

An East Hartford man, who initially fled from police, was ultimately taken into custody by officers following a brief struggle inside Chipotle in West Hartford Center on Thursday night.

According to police, an officer on routine patrol in West Hartford Center spotted a black Honda Accord, with Connecticut registration BF14747, whose owner had outstanding arrest warrants on felony as well as misdemeanor charges from East Hartford and Hartford Police.

The officer attempted to stop the vehicle shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday night, police said, but the driver, identified as Toraine Mullings, 20, of Goodwin Street in East Hartford, refused to stop and fled the scene.

Police did not pursue the vehicle, which sources said fled at a high rate of speed, but did provide a description of the vehicle and operator to other members of the West Hartford Police Department.

Officers assigned to patrol Blue Back Square and the Center spotted the vehicle on parked on Farmington Avenue, police said, and the officer who initially attempted to detain Mullings observed him walking out of the Chipotle restaurant located at 982 Farmington Avenue.

Police said Mullings “retreated back into the restaurant” after spotting the officer who had first attempted to stop him, but when asked by the officer did identify himself as the driver of the Honda Accord. According to police, the officer advised Mullings of the two outstanding arrest warrants.

Mullings did not initially cooperate with the officer’s attempt to take him into custody inside Chipotle, and additional officers were called to the scene for support before Mullings was ultimately handcuffed, police said.

West Hartford Police transported Mullings to their headquarters at 103 Raymond Road where he was charged with engaging in pursuit as well as two counts of interfering with an officer and resisting arrest, and released him on a $20,000 non-surety bond with a court date set for Oct. 20.

He was turned over to East Hartford and subsequently Hartford Police on outstanding arrest warrants.

The active arrest warrants from Hartford include charges of reckless endangerment, second-degree assault, third-degree assault, second-degree threatening, risk of injury to a minor, unlawful restraint, criminal violation of a protective order, first-degree criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct. He currently remains in custody on those charges, with a court-set bond of $100,000, online records indicate.

The warrant from East Hartford Police was for charges of engaging in pursuit, illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under suspension and without insurance. There was no bond set by East Hartford.

Online court records also indicate that Mullings was arrested earlier this year by Hartford Police on charges including possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a large capacity magazine, interfering with an officer, drug possession, and reckless endangerment. He also has a court date set for motor vehicle violations stemming from an incident in Windsor, court records indicate.

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